5.2. Size-and-Shape Specifiers (SASS)
Size-and-shape Specifiers (also known as descriptive classifiers) describe features of the physical properties of objects and persons. Instead of describing the referent’s movement, the movement carried out by the hands in the articulation of this type of classifier usually follows the perimeter or the surface of the element described, as in the examples below.
cl(c): ‘rectangle’
cl(<): ‘python’
cl(o): ‘spots’
cl(v): ‘grid’
cl(u): ‘line’
cl(l): ‘line2’
cl(B): ‘arch’
cl(B): ‘arch2’
cl(<): ‘mountain side’
(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)
Size-and-shape Specifiers may also include information about shape and volume, as in the following examples.
cl(5): ‘ellipsoidal’
cl(V): ‘hexahedron’
cl(>): ‘sphere’
cl(<): ‘cylinder’
cl(,): ‘cube’
Moreover, this classifier type may also indicate the texture of a surface. In these cases, different mouth patterns accompany the articulation of the classifier, as we can see below.
cl(,): ‘rough’ [ptpt]
cl(,): ‘smooth’ [fff]
cl(,): ‘velvety’ [zzz]
cl(,): ‘bumpy’ [blopblop]
(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)
All the specific classifier handshapes that have been shown until now can be categorized in more general denotations. The table below offers an overview of the most common classifier handshapes in LSC and their most general denotations.
|
Handshape |
Denotation |
Examples |
|
B |
Long narrow entities |
person, stick, branch, log, leg, horn, carrot, pen, pencil |
|
| |
Flat wide entities |
paper, surface, table, wall, feet, door |
|
6 |
Round/cylindrical entities |
head, big thick pawns, feet cycling |
|
Y |
Legged entities (with downwards orientation) / entities composed of two long and thin parts (upwards orientation)
|
person walking / two people walking, tram, chop sticks |
|
b |
Long bended entities |
person sitting, person bending knees, bones, stairs, snake bite, vampire bite |
|
f |
Entities with two extremities/limbs and a thick center |
airplane, fat person, croissant, horns, heels |
|
@ |
Four-legged entities (animate) / legged entities (inanimate) |
four-legged animals, dinosaur legs /gopro, webcam, fairground attraction |
|
y |
Ovoidal entities |
animal head, statue, figure, doll, pawns, baby, testicles, eggs |
|
6 |
Long thick entities |
column, elephant legs |
|
z |
Rectangular entities |
car, book, sandwich, folded clothes |
|
g |
Two-wheels vehicle /vegetal entities / entities composed by two long thin parallel parts |
bike, motorbike / tree, plant, vegetable / horns, tusks |
|
a |
Round entities |
ball, round fruits, eyes, eggs |
|
< |
3D thick round/cylindrical entities |
bus, glass, bottle, trunk |
|
: |
Bended surface entities |
|
|
= |
Semi-round entities |
spoon, catapult |
|
s |
Long small flat entities |
knife, tongue, paint brush, rabbit teeth, rabbit ears |
|
j |
Entities composed by three long parts |
fork, trident, three people |
|
l |
Flat 2D squared/rectangular/round entities |
dish, ears, tray |
|
i |
Tiny entities / beak-shaped entities |
fly, flying insect, polka dots / bird, beak, bird head |
|
9 |
Big bird |
big bird |
|
z |
Flat animate entities / flying small objects |
reptile, bird legs / drone, satellite |
|
> |
Liquid entities / mass entities / |
water flowing, fire, lava, spillage / people marching |
|
5 |
Entities that spread from closed to open |
geiser, flower, volcano |
|
d e |
Hook-shaped entities (the thumb is optional) |
spring, open legs, hook, parrot beak, hook nose, eyebrows |
|
) |
Round or squared entities that can be opened |
sprinkler, teeth, claw, oyster, big box |
|
? |
Liquid related entities / heat related entities |
liquid (shower, rain, menstruation heat (radiotherapy, sun, sunflower) |
|
( |
Large amount of water |
giant wave, tsunami |
|
V |
Rectangular thin entities |
eyebrow shape, paper pad |
|
o |
Thin cylindrical/round entities |
eyes, stains, thin pipe, OVNI |
|
+ |
Thin small entities |
eyelids |
|
7 |
Small protruded entity |
nipple |
|
# |
Very thin entities |
cup, tea, detach a paper, peel, skin |
|
c |
Flat rectangular entities/L-shaped entities |
angle, vagina, picture, geometric shapes, drill |
|
p |
Extremely thin and small entities |
hair, thin stripes |
|
3 |
Thin entities held with the hand |
to close curtains, fan, nightstick, to hold a stick |